ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA attracts additional exhibitors

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA attracts additional exhibitors

Three-day fresh produce trade show runs alongside Asiafruit Congress

Berlin/Hong Kong, 15 June 2010: More companies and organisations are signing up to exhibit at Asia’s leading trade show for the fresh produce business which takes place in Hong Kong in September.

With less than 100 days to go before the doors open at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, new exhibitors include fresh produce businesses in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Latest additions include national pavilions from Japan, Italy and Argentina.

“ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is growing again this year,” said Gérald Lamusse, managing director of organiser Global Produce Events GmbH. “This progress demonstrates the real potential of the fresh produce business in Asia as well as the opportunities for suppliers in the rest of the world.“

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA takes place on 8-10 September 2010 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Some 250 exhibitors and more than 3,500 visitors from all over the world are expected at this year’s event. ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA is organised by Global Produce Events GmbH in cooperation with Asiafruit Magazine.

The trade show runs alongside Asiafruit Congress, Asia’s only fresh produce business conference which has taken place annually in the region for more than 10 years.

“Some 600 decision makers from more than 25 countries in Asia and the rest of the world are set to attend the Asiafruit Congress again this year,” said Asiafruit Magazine editor John Hey. “We have put together a very interesting programme, which looks at the big issues about how to succeed in the fresh produce business in Asia.”

For more information about ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA in Hong Kong on 8-10 September 2010 go online at www.asiafruitlogistica.com or contact Ms. Claudia Bach by email at Claudia@gp-events.com or by telephone on +49 30 3038 2373. For more information about Asiafriuit Congress, visit www.asiafruitcongress.com or contact
Mr Steve Wyatt by email at steve@fruitnet.com or by telephone on
+44 20 7501 3719.
This press release and related photos are available on the Internet:
www.asiafruitlogistica.com/Press Info

Botsford & Goodfellow Launches Traceability Initiative with HarvestMark®

Botsford & Goodfellow Launches Traceability Initiative with HarvestMark®

Oregon-based produce shipper employs both PTI and item-level traceability for its popular Hermiston watermelons

Redwood City, Calif. – June 15, 2010 – YottaMark, Inc., the leader in traceability and authentication solutions, today announced that Botsford & Goodfellow has selected its HarvestMark® solution for its watermelon traceability initiative. The Oregon-based company distributes both conventional and organic Hermiston watermelons across the Northwest. The company will work with five watermelon suppliers - Bellinger Farms, Pollock & Son Farms, Steve Walker Farms, Walchli Farms, and Walchli Ranches – to deploy PTI and item-level traceability program beginning this month.

“We decided to implement both PTI and item traceability because we saw the value in taking the lead and getting onboard now - ahead of the deadline - to comply with the industry initiative while also creating a new way to connect with consumers and promote our watermelons, our farmers and growing practices,” said Chris McNamee, vice president, Botsford & Goodfellow. “We selected HarvestMark as it is the most respected and widely deployed solution in the watermelon industry, and we knew that we would achieve the type of results we wanted quickly and efficiently.”

Botsford & Goodfellow will deploy HarvestMark PTI to simplify the GTIN assignment process, and easily apply PTI-compliant labels to each watermelon bin. HarvestMark PTI systems will be used at each packinghouse to meet the labeling requirements and automatically capture key harvest and packing data. Individual watermelons will also carry a unique HarvestMark traceability code, which links to specific harvest and packing information. The code can be entered at HarvestMark.com for instant access to product and traceability information. The HarvestMark-enabled watermelons can even be traced using an iPhone. Once the code is entered or scanned, users can retrieve key product and harvest attributes including brand profile, food safety notices, product distribution details and quality data. The system also provides growers feedback on time-to-market and distribution. Today, more than 150 produce brands are using the HarvestMark system for their traceability initiatives with more than 50 companies deploying the HarvestMark PTI solution.

“Botsford & Goodfellow’s decision to implement a comprehensive traceability program underscores their leadership and commitment to a safe and efficient supply chain,” said J. Scott Carr, president and CEO, YottaMark. “Recognizing the need to implement traceability across growers, harvest work flows, and regions, forward-thinking companies realize the benefits of starting their traceability programs now. Moms repeatedly share with us the value they place on connecting with the source of their products and learning more about the food they feed their families. We applaud Botsford & Goodfellow for taking this initiative and look forward to working with them to roll out a successful and valuable traceability program.”

The HarvestMark PTI suite of solutions provides packers and shippers easy-to-install and simple-to-use tools to print PTI compliant case labels either on-demand or in volume; at the packing shed, on a pack-out line, in the field, or at a cooler. Producers can also easily associate additional information with a case, such as logos, GPS coordinates, crew ID, or pallet ID. Each label is also printed with the VoiceCode™ and a unique HarvestMark Code that makes the case instantly traceable at HarvestMark.com. The HarvestMark item-level solutions are the food industry’s leading method for directly connecting with the consumer. Each of these products makes traceability and supply chain information available through the HarvestMark.com portal. Producers, produce buyers, and consumer at home can instantly access harvest and logistics data, food safety status, and details of the source and grower when and where it’s needed.

LINCOLN, CHAMBLISS URGE ADMINISTRATION TO RESOLVE ISSUES, DELAYS OF AGRICULTURE EXPORTS

LINCOLN, CHAMBLISS URGE ADMINISTRATION TO RESOLVE ISSUES, DELAYS OF AGRICULTURE EXPORTS

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln, (D-Ark.), and Ranking Member Saxby Chambliss, (R-Ga.), today sent a letter to Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr., Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission, expressing concern with reports that U.S. agricultural exporters are experiencing serious service issues with the foreign-flagged ocean carrier industry. The Senators noted that while the administration has outlined admirable goals to increase U.S. exports, the chain of trade must function fairly and efficiently for American shippers to get agricultural products to key overseas markets.

“According to constituent reports and recent media stories, U.S. exporters may be forced to wait as long as a month to secure space on an ocean carrier compared to earlier wait times of about a week,” the Senators said in the letter. “These service interruptions, along with frequent rate hikes, are occurring despite the fact that most U.S. shippers enter into 12-month service contracts with the ocean carriers for fixed rates during the period. These contracts are supposed to ensure that the carriers will provide the necessary weekly equipment and vessel space consistent with each individual agreement. Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that carriers are now routinely failing to honor these contracts. Such breaches lead to increased costs for U.S. agricultural exporters and, in some cases, lost export opportunities.”

Additionally, Chambliss and Lincoln requested the Federal Maritime Commission to identify steps it is taking to address these issues, including the ability to penalize carriers for egregious practices.

Text of the letter is below.

June 15, 2010

The Honorable Richard A. Lidinsky, Jr.
Chairman
Federal Maritime Commission
800 North Capitol Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20573

Dear Chairman Lidinsky:
We write to express our concern with reports that U.S. agricultural exporters are experiencing serious service issues with the foreign-flagged ocean carrier industry. The problem is prevalent from all major domestic ports to all major trade lanes. These service problems threaten agriculture’s ability to expand overseas sales and boost incomes.

As you know, President Obama has launched a National Export Initiative aimed at doubling U.S. exports over the next five years and as noted in a recent report from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Transportation, agriculture products represents a significant share of bulk and container trade. Agricultural exports will continue to have a significant role in the success of this initiative and future growth in rural America. In FY 2009, the value of U.S. agricultural exports reached $96.6 billion and supported approximately one million jobs both on and off the farm. As 96 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States, there is still great potential to further increase the value of our agricultural exports.

However, the ability of our agricultural exporters to expand markets abroad is dependent on adequate ocean-going vessel capacity and container availability at inland locations. If this critical link in the export chain does not function fairly or efficiently, our shippers will be unable to get agricultural products to key overseas markets. This will not only cost U.S. farmers and ranchers new export opportunities, but could cost them existing overseas customers.

According to constituent reports and recent media stories, U.S. exporters may be forced to wait as long as a month to secure space on an ocean carrier compared to earlier wait times of about a week. In some parts of the country, obtaining the necessary containers, which are ultimately loaded onto a carrier vessel, is becoming increasingly difficult as well.

These service interruptions, along with frequent rate hikes, are occurring despite the fact that most U.S. shippers enter into 12-month service contracts with the ocean carriers for fixed rates during the period. These contracts are supposed to ensure that the carriers will provide the necessary weekly equipment and vessel space consistent with each individual agreement. Unfortunately, it has come to our attention that carriers are now routinely failing to honor these contracts. Such breaches lead to increased costs for U.S. agricultural exporters and, in some cases, lost export opportunities.

It is our hope that the global economic recovery and improvements in fleet capacity will mitigate future problems. In the meantime, we are keenly interested in the steps the Federal Maritime Commission is now taking to address these issues. We applaud your announcement on March 17, 2010, of an official investigation into space and equipment shortages and look forward to the results of this inquiry. We would also appreciate your perspective concerning the specific authorities that the Commission has available to ensure the ocean carriers’ honor their service contracts with U.S. shippers, including the ability to penalize carriers for egregious practices. If you lack such tools, we would welcome a discussion of ways to potentially strengthen the Commission’s authority with the carriers.

U.S. agricultural exporters are excellent customers for the ocean carriers and deserve consistent service that is fair to all parties. We must insist that the carriers be good partners with U.S. agricultural exporters so that we can continue to expand overseas markets. We appreciate your attention to this request and look forward to working with you on this critical issue.

Very truly yours,

Blanche L. Lincoln Saxby Chambliss
Chairman Ranking Member

WSHA GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

WSHA GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL RAISE FUNDS FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

WENATCHEE -- Registrations are now being accepted for the Washington State Horticultural Association's 17th Annual Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament that will be held Tuesday, August 3, at the Lake Chelan Municipal Golf Course.

All proceeds from the tournament support scholarships that are awarded to students in honor of past tree fruit industry leaders. Scholarships are awarded in memory of Gerald Nolan, Melvin Crowder, Jim Matson and Delmar Smith. Over the past fifteen years, the tournament has raised over $118,319 for student scholarships.

The tournament entry fee is $400 for a team of four, $125 per person or $65 to attend the dinner only. All entries must be in by July 27. The entry fee covers golf cart rentals, greens fees for the 18-hole scramble format tournament, a commemorative tournament hat, entry into tournament contests and a BBQ dinner. Sponsorship and raffle donation opportunities are still available.

Check-in begins at noon on the day of the tournament with a shotgun start is at 1:30 p.m. The BBQ and awards ceremony will directly follow at 6 p.m. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams in both low net and gross categories, a women’s division, and men’s and women’s long drive. Don't miss out on the amazing raffle items, which include items such as a rafting trip, wine gift baskets, outdoor gear, 4 box seat tickets to a Mariners game, and much more.

The field is limited to the first 144 players or 36 teams, so get your entry in today. For more information or to register, contact Lynette Smith at the Washington State Horticultural Association at (509) 665-9641 x303 or e-mail lynette@wahort.org. A registration form can also be downloaded from the WSHA web-site at www.wahort.org.

Representatives from 18 Countries Call for Global Support of School Feeding Programs Global Child Nutrition Forum participants issue historic call to

Representatives from 18 Countries Call for Global Support of School Feeding Programs
Global Child Nutrition Forum participants issue historic call to action

National Harbor, Md. (June 14, 2010) – Last week, representatives from 18 countries who participated in the 12th annual Global Child Nutrition Forum issued the following call to action requesting the inclusion of school feeding on the international agenda, including at the African Union Summit next month. The Forum, which brought together the largest gathering of 130 leading international school feeding experts, is a sign of the tremendous global movement afoot to implement school feeding programs.

The Forum is the flagship program of US based Global Child Nutrition Foundation (GCNF), the international arm of the School Nutrition Association. This year, the Forum was cosponsored by the Partnership for Child Development (Imperial College London).

House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds 2012 Farm Bill Hearing

House Agriculture Subcommittee Holds 2012 Farm Bill Hearing

WASHINGTON - House Agriculture Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Chairman Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, today held the Subcommittee's first hearing to review U.S. farm safety net programs in advance of the 2012 Farm Bill.

The Agriculture Committee has begun the process of writing the 2012 Farm Bill, holding field hearings in eight states. Today's subcommittee hearing is the next step in the process.
The Subcommittee heard from U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Jim Miller.

"I appreciated the testimony of USDA Under Secretary Jim Miller regarding safety net programs under the 2008 Farm Bill as we move forward in crafting the 2012 Farm Bill and look to improve upon the insurance mechanisms that are already in place for America's farmers and producers," said Chairman Boswell. "As a farmer from Iowa - a state with over 92,000 farms and over 30 million acres in production - I understand the challenges that farmers and those in the agriculture business are facing today. One of my top priorities in the 2012 Farm Bill will be to build upon our country's current crop insurance programs so that they work for more producers in more regions of the country. Budgets are tight, but tight budgets do not mean that we jeopardize the risk management tools that we have today or put into question what improvements we must make in the future."

"It was good to have the opportunity to continue the Committee's discussion about how our current farm safety net is working and how we can improve it in the next farm bill. It was also important that members of the Subcommittee had the opportunity to ask questions about the latest draft of the Standard Reinsurance Agreement that was submitted last Friday," said Subcommittee Ranking Member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas.

Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website:
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html. A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.

Panel I

The Honorable James W. (Jim) Miller, Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

Accompanied by:
Mr. Jonathan Coppess, Administrator, Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington. D.C.

Mr. Bill Murphy, Administrator, Risk Management Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

###

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition: USDA Moves to Restore Competitive Markets and Contract Fairness in Livestock and Poultry Markets

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition:USDA Moves to Restore Competitive Markets and Contract Fairness
in Livestock and Poultry Markets


Washington, D.C. June 18, 2010 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture released new rules today that propose a host of reforms necessary to help restore competitive markets and contract fairness to livestock and poultry markets. The new rules directed by the 2008 Farm Bill, promise to outlaw preferential pricing, expand producer rights to sue over unfair and deceptive practices and compel greater contract fairness for poultry producers.

Under the proposed rules, independent family farmers who meet the same quality standards as mega feedlots must be paid the same price. Those standards must be transparent and made publicly available.

"These rules are crucial to restoring a level playing field for independent family farmers" said Martha Noble, Senior Policy Associate with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. "Undue and unjustified price preferences for industrial scale factory farms have caused substantial harm to markets, small and mid-sized farmers, and rural communities," said Noble.

"Family farm advocates have called for an end to unjustified price preferences for decades and perhaps we have arrived at the point where the government will get serious about enforcing the law," added Noble. "We will be examining the details of the proposed rules carefully in the coming days to make sure they actually do what USDA is claiming they do."

NSAC advocated for the inclusion of the directed rulemaking during congressional consideration of the 2008 Farm Bill and made promulgation of strong rules a major push with the new Administration from the start.

The rule expands and clarifies the rights of independent producers to bring suit against packers for unfair and deceptive trade practices. Some Courts have required farmers to prove not only individual harm but also "competitive injury" to the market as a whole. In explaining their intent, USDA explains its view that an independent producer should not have to prove "competitive injury" to bring a suit for unfair practices.

"It was critical for USDA to address the competitive harm issue," said Noble. "We applaud them for doing so, but will need to read the details of the rule before coming to an assessment of whether further strengthening might be necessary."

The rule also expands the number and character of unfair practices that can be challenged which now include retaliatory actions, unjustified contract termination and refusal to share data needed to determine fair compensation.

The rule dictates practices that will make packer transactions with other packers more transparent. Packers would be prohibited from selling to packers, a common way of sending price signals. Packer buyers could only buy for a single packer at auction and the purchasing packer must be clearly identified.

The new rule made major reforms to the rules governing production contracts between poultry growers and processors. Processors must send sample production contracts to USDA within 10 days of execution. USDA may then post the contracts on line to improve transparency for growers. Contracts must be sufficient in length to allow the grower to recoup at least 80% of any significant capital improvements required by the contract, defined as an investment of $25,000 or more. To suspend the delivery of birds under an ongoing production contract, poultry processors must give farmers 90 days notice that they are being terminated.

The Farm Bill also directed new rules governing arbitration provisions in poultry contracts. The Farm Bill gave growers the right to opt out of mandatory arbitration. Companies, however, have not been clear with growers about their right to opt out. The new rules require clear and conspicuous language in the contracts giving growers the right to opt in or out of arbitration.

"While additional reforms, including a ban on packer ownership and feeding of livestock are necessary to ensure truly competitive markets, this rule represents a giant step forward for both independent livestock producers and contract poultry producers," according to Noble.

Planting Seeds to Feed Kentucky’s Youth WP Rawl Supports Community Garden

Planting Seeds to Feed Kentucky’s Youth WP Rawl Supports Community Garden


Pelion, S.C. June 17, 2010 – Over the past several months, WP Rawl (Rawl) of Pelion, SC has partnered with the Rockin’ Appalachian Mom Project (RAMP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children and their families in Appalachia achieve a better life through nutrition, to lay the ground work for a community garden project in Inez, Ky.

The community garden will be part of the Homecoming Food Pantry, which RAMP helps fund, and is a resource to the local community to provide supplemental food 150+ families-in-need in this area. Rawl has been instrumental in the planning and development of the garden and has provided soil testing, prep work, an irrigation system and vegetable seeds and seedlings for the one-acre plot of land. The garden will include more than 12 different vegetables crops and is expected to yield over 7000 pounds of fresh vegetables for the community.

The garden project was underway on June 15, with a community work day that includes creating the garden space, installing a perimeter fence and irrigation system, garden planting, building a chicken coop, a community clean up and other activities including gardening workshops and healthy eating seminars. More than 80 volunteers from Rawl, RAMP and Whole Foods Market® were on location in Martin County, Ky, which is one of the poorest counties in the nation, to participate and assist in all events.

“Rawl has been the frontrunner on stepping up and helping the efforts of the Rockin’ Appalachian Mom Project in Martin County,” noted Amy Guerrieri, founder of RAMP. “Rawl’s support has been nothing short of fantastic and we are so thankful for all that they have done – from providing fresh produce to the food pantry during the holidays – to helping build this garden that will be instrumental in sustaining the local community.”

Ashley Rawl, Director of Sales & Marketing at Rawl commented, “Our company motto states, ‘our business is growing’, and what better way to live our values than to give back to communities by supporting a growing project like the RAMP community garden. Projects like these help develop sustainable communities that promote health and wellness along with food independence.”

The Rockin’ Appalachian Mom Project (RAMP) (www.rampamerica.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to making a difference in the lives of poverty-stricken children and their families in the Appalachian region of the U.S. RAMP focuses on nutrition and basic needs, working family-to-family, Mom-to-Mom and kid-to-kid. RAMP also focuses on empowering moms and helps community members pay it forward.

Dating back to 1925, WP Rawl, is a third generation family farm which has grown to become a grower/shipper/processor, specializing in year round bulk and value-added leafy greens and vegetables in the RAWL Brand®, Nature’s Greens® and Versatile Veggies™ brands.